FRESH CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH CORN CHIPS

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

We have new neighbors who moved here from a town in Kansas 5 hours away, where they own a big farm. One of their main crops is corn, and they have been gifting us spectacular examples of their labor of love. We often indulge with nothing more than a little salt and pepper, but we’ve also been working hard trying new recipes. Here is one that is a total winner!

FRESH CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH CORN CHIPS
(adapted from The New York Times)

for the dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar (if your corn is super sweet, omit it)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

for the salad:
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 large cobs)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
A big handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
corn tortilla chips, lightly crushed, amount to taste
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and roughly diced
Hot sauce (optional), for serving

Prepare the dressing: To a large bowl, add the lime juice, cumin, sugar, crushed red pepper and olive oil. Season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper and whisk to combine. Taste and check seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
To the dressing, add the corn, black beans and cilantro. Toss to combine, taste and season with salt and pepper.
When ready to eat, add the corn chips and avocados, and toss to combine. Dot with hot sauce, if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Such a colorful salad, and quite substantial, as it is quite high in carbs. You can serve it only next to a main dish like grilled salmon, which we chose in our first time enjoying it, or go for the kill and also add rice and more chips like my beloved did.

Some dishes make you smile just looking at the plate, so colorful and fun. And having the best corn makes it super special. Leftovers were still ok, although I recommend adding fresh corn chips. The avocado might suffer a bit but the overall acidity helps.

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5Aug2026

TRICOLOR CHICKPEA SALAD

Posted in Rice and Grains, Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

When I make a salad, I don’t really expect that much enthusiasm coming from the husband, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed this one. Plus, not only it is quite a simple recipe, but leftovers held well for two days in the fridge. Very sturdy. Chickpeas, raw zucchini, grape tomatoes and feta cheese. If white is to be considered a color, well, then let’s make it a “Four-Color Salad” and call it a day!

TRI-COLOR CHICKPEA SALAD
(inspired by several sources)

1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 large zucchini, cut in small dice
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (15 oz)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Calamansi vinegar (or apple cider vinegar with squirt of lemon juice)
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled feta cheese to taste

Whisk the olive oil with vinegar in a small bowl, set aside.

Add tomatoes, zucchini and chickpeas to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the mixture of olive oil/vinegar and mix well. Keep in the fridge for 15 minutes, then add the crumbled feta and serve. Adjust seasoning if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I am quite in love with Calamansi vinegar, which believe ir or not, I found at Walmart… It is available at The Very Evil Empire, but it will cost you a lot more. I first heard about it on Milk Street, and they were right, it is a great product. Back to the salad: cut the zucchini in very small dice, because it will be incorporated raw, so the 15 minutes in the presence of the acidic dressing will be enough to mellow it, but not if it is cut in large pieces. A little cilantro could go well with all the other flavors, or maybe some mint. I had neither, so my salad was a bit more austere. This one will also be part of our rotation side dishes because whenever the husband loves a salad, I know it is a real keeper.

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1Aug2026

TWO INCREDIBLY EASY VEGETARIAN DISHES

Posted in Air-Frying, Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

It’s been a while since I posted in the Incredibly Easy folder, but today I share two tasty little recipes that will definitely be part of our rotation. First, a tortilla-egg concoction with tomato and cheese, next a tricolor carrot preparation in the air-fryer.

MINI EGG & TOMATO TORTILLA
(inspired by Hungry Happens)

for one serving

spray of olive oil
1 small flour tortilla
4 slices of tomato
1 egg, beaten with salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence
shredded or sliced mozzarella
avocado for serving (optional)

Spray olive oil in a small non-stick skillet, preferably one with the exact same diameter of your tortilla. Place on medium heat and immediately cover the pan with 4 slices of tomato. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, flip the slices, cook for one minute longer.

Pour the egg over it, and cover it with the tortilla. Cook on medium-low heat until you notice the edges of the egg getting firm and starting to get some color. Carefully flip the tortilla, adding a little more olive oil to the pan before doing so. Add some mozzarella on top, cover the pan and cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla gets good color at the bottom, probably around 3 more minutes. Serve with avocado slices.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The little pan I used was an impulse buy from a while ago, I found it at our grocery store in town and could not resist it. It is 5.5 inches in diameter and worked perfectly for the small tortilla with a single egg. Visit Hungry Happens site to see a bigger version. I actually made it but prefer the small one, easier to handle and perfect as a lunch for yours truly. Next time I will use a slice of mozzarella instead of shredded because it will melt faster. Consider that if you make it.
.

Moving on….

AIR-FRYED TRICOLOR CARROTS WITH ORANGE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 carrots of each color (orange, purple, yellow)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
squirt of fresh orange juice

Cut the carrots in sticks. Place in a bowl, drizzle olive oil to coat them well. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze orange juice all over, and immediately air-fry at 400F until done, about 20 minutes, shaking the basket every once in a while.

ENJOY1

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This does not get any easier… I know that people who do not own an air-fryer tend to roll their eyes to the ceiling when they read praise about it, but honestly, it is one gadget I adore ad use all the time. The dry air environment makes it cook things faster and provide a texture I prefer when compared to regular oven, especially for root vegetables. But it is also my method of choice for chicken and eggplant parmigiana. I hope you give this recipe a try, even if you have to use a regular oven. It is delicious, and yes, incredibly easy!

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8May2026

LENTIL SALAD WITH CARROTS AND CUCUMBERS

Posted in Rice and Grains, Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Not sure what is happening but I am getting more and more into eating lentils. I used to think they tasted a bit too “earthy” but now I find lentils, particularly the green, small ones, very delicious. This started as a salad, to be enjoyed cold, obviously. But I had leftovers for two days and on the second I warmed the lentils briefly in the microwave and served with a fried egg, for a very satisfying lunch. The carrots do not suffer from the heating, and if you keep it to a real brief passage in the microwave, the cucumber pieces will be fine. Just don’t try to make it piping hot.

LENTIL SALAD WITH CARROTS AND CUCUMBERS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

1 cup dried green lentils
2 fresh bay leaves
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
ground black pepper to taste
3 medium carrots, julienned
1 small cucumber, sliced thin

Sort through lentils, removing any small pebbles or stones, then rinse them well. Add lentils and bay leaves to a large pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil on high then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Drain the lentils and rinse with cold water. Line a sheet pan with a towel and pour lentils out evenly onto the pan to dry and cool.

While the lentils cook, prepare the vinaigrette: in a large bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, agave nectar, half the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk well. Stir in the carrots and cucumber to coat, then add the cooled lentils and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasonings for salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, more lemon juice to taste and the lemon zest.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This salad really benefits from a lot of acidity, so do not skimp on the vinegar and lemon juice. Make sure not to over-cook the lentils so that they retain a nice texture. Although it was lovely as a salad, I have to say I enjoyed it even more when gently warmed and served with a fried egg on top. Delicious simple lunch!

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26Apr2026

CRISPY CARROT CHIPS

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Ready for a totally crazy recipe that seems like a disaster in the making but… it is actually pretty delicious? I cannot take any credit for it, first saw it in the fun blog Hungry Happens. I made a few adjustments and share with you my version.

CRISPY CARROT CHIPS
(adapted from Hungry Happens)

6 oz shredded parmesan cheese
3 large carrots, peeled
olive oil spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and paprika to taste

Heat your oven to 400℉. Line a half-baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the paper to form an even layer. Slice your carrot into medium thickness coins, around 1/8 inch thick. Place them on top of the parmesan cheese to form a uniform layer. It is best if they touch and you have just a little space between the pieces. LIGHTLY brush the tops with olive oil (or use olive spray, see my comments) and season with salt and paprika to taste. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are mostly brown and the middle is golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and tear into chips using scissors.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: In our grocery store, we find pre-shredded Parmigiano cheese in 6 oz bags, so that’s what I opted to use in this recipe. But let me advise you to grate your own instead, which is not that hard and as Eha mentioned in her comment, a healthier option! Do as I say, not as I did….. In the original Hungry Happens version, she brushes the top of the carrots with olive oil and I thought it would be too much work, so I used a spray. I now believe that it might be best either to do as she recommended, or lightly spraying the slices of carrots before laying them on the cheese layer. Spraying the olive oil all over made the cheese component a bit greasy. So consider that. I will be making it again, but was so excited about this recipe, I decided to share it right away.

The cheese layer, if left unprotected by carrots, will darken quickly. Use as many carrots as you can to cover it all to the edges. I used scissors to cut the “chips” and like the way that looked. Super unusual recipe indeed, but I am sold! We had it alongside grilled salmon, courtesy of the husband, and steamed broccoli. Now, do you want to know something truly amazing? Leftovers were great enjoyed FROM THE FRIDGE, standing up. I am not even remotely ashamed.